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CONSERVING WOODLANDS
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The KSCP advises landowners on managing woodlands and
enhancing them for wildlife. It helps them to obtain grant aid for this work,
and carries out practical work at many sites.
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Beech pollard, King's Wood
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The most valuable woodlands for wildlife are ‘ancient’
woodlands. They are at least 400 years old, and in some cases may date back to
the ‘wildwood’ - the primeval forest which covered most of Britain after the
last ice age. Despite the fact that most have been managed by man for centuries,
ancient woodlands retain a link with natural woodland and are valued for their
wild flowers, birds, mammals, insects and fungi. Unfortunately, many have been
lost in recent years, cleared for development and agriculture. The Stour Valley
is very fortunate in having a lot of ancient woodland.
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Bluebells in an ancient woodland
Fly agaric - a distinctive fungus of birch woods
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Key to conserving this habitat is a technique called ‘coppicing’.
This involves the repeated cutting of trees to a stump (or ‘stool’), which
will then re-grow as many thin stems. This does no harm to the trees, in fact it
prolongs their life, and is a traditional way of managing woodlands that
provides a sustainable supply of wood and benefits wildlife. British woodlands
have been managed in this way since prehistoric times.
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Coppice woodland
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Throughout the Middle
Ages coppicing was at the heart of the economy in Britain. However, it went into
a slow decline from the 17th century, as alternative fuels and
materials became widespread, and eventually all but ceased across the country.
In Kent, coppicing continued much later than in other areas, although most
woodlands had been replanted with non-native sweet chestnut.
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High forest
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Today, Kent is one of the few areas where coppicing still goes
on commercially although, even here, woodland management is dominated by modern
forestry. Forestry is based on artificial plantations of non-native,
fast-growing conifers and is economically more profitable. Many ancient
woodlands have been replanted with conifers and all but lost their ancient
characteristics and wildlife. But coppicing has made a come-back, as
conservationists have realised how much wildlife benefits from it. Coupled with
this are efforts to make coppice woodlands profitable again, by linking
traditional woodcrafts to markets for these products, which the KSCP is involved
with.
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Sparmaking - a traditional woodcraft
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Grants for
landowners to conserve woodlands |
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Wild Sites contents page
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